Alona & Taylor

A L O N A &T A Y L O R

// ALONA WILLIAMS, TAYLOR MITCHELL

(some) style & photo // Khadijat Yussuff

Oftentimes, I feel like it's necessary to be reminded of the importance of surrounding myself with like-minded and admirable people. From shooting in frigid temperatures and blistering winds to cozying up to Spotify playlists and deep conversation, the time I spent with Alona and Taylor left me much more energized than I'd been when I trudged to the shoot location, weighted pack bouncing behind.

Starting out as a Facebook post asking for friends to let me test my new 35mm prime lens on them, this first shoot of the year really turned into an exercise in patience in patience and deliberate decisions, from camera settings to composition.

Luckily, an evenly overcast sky eliminated some of the need to account for the extra variable of light, but the locations provided a range of moods.

Having the opportunity to capture these two beautiful women with their home city as a backdrop was a really magical experience, especially with the capabilities of the new lens. Playing with the lines and curves Pittsburgh's edifices are notorious for - all four of these backdrops were within a two-block radius - is something I've been keen on practicing (due in large part to the work of local photographer Michael Parente), and I'm quite thrilled to share these images!